Having released Daniel Graham early in the offseason and still looking to add some bulk at the position, the Broncos are chasing Rams free agent tight end Daniel Fells. Fells is a massive 272-pounder who played plenty in St. Louis’ two tight end sets last season.

The Broncos two draft picks at the position — Virgil Green and Julius Thomas — are both considered more receivers than blockers.

Rookie wide receiver Demaryius Thomas and tight end Daniel Graham are both participating practice Tuesday as the Broncos begin preparations for the season opener Sunday at Jacksonville.

Both players missed substantial time in the preseason with injuries. Thomas, the team’s first round draft pick, reinjured his surgically repaired left foot on Aug. 7 in the scrimmage at Invesco Field. He did not play in any of the preseason games.

Graham injured his ribs early in the first quarter of the team’s first preseason game at Cincinnati and has not practiced since.

Minneapolis _ Starters who will be held out of the preseason finale here tonight are nose tackle Jamal Williams, right cornerback Andre’ Goodman and tight end Daniel Graham.

Graham will miss his third consecutive preseason game with bruised ribs, but is expected to practice this weekend and start the opener Sept. 12 at Jacksonville. His fellow University of Colorado alum Riar Geer will again start in Graham’s place tonight.

Perrish Cox, one of the Broncos’ most impressive rookies in the preseason, will replace Goodman at right cornerback and Ronnie Fields, a 16-game starter at nose tackle last season, will play in place of Williams.

The Broncos were going to wait until after the pregame warmups before determining whether tailback Knowshon Moreno would get a carry or two. He is dressed in uniform. Moreno has been out since popping his hamstring on Aug. 1. Correll Buckhalter, out since Aug. 1 with a back and neck injury, will get his first preseason action. LenDale White, Lance Ball and Bruce Hall are all dressed and figure to get some carries.

With Broncos training camp over and two preseason games complete, we’re closing in on the first round of cuts (on Aug. 31) when the roster will go from 80 to 75, and we’re less than two weeks away from the major cuts, when the team will pick its 53-man roster.

Yes, Tim Tebow is the most notable absence from the Broncos active roster in tonight’s preseason game against the Lions.

But 15 other players are also out of the game, including a number of big names. WR Brandon Stokley, CB Champ Bailey, TE Daniel Graham, LB D.J. Williams, RG Chris Kuper, RB Knowshon Moreno and WR Demaryius Thomas are also on the “not expected to play” list.

Unlike the regular season, the team is not required to release a list of inactive players.

The Broncos announced that rookie Perrish Cox will start in place of Champ Bailey at left corner and Wesley Woodyard will replace Williams at inside linebacker.

To the thousands of Broncos fans planning on coming to Saturday’s preseason home opener at Invesco Field: Get ready to see some young guys.

A number of familiar veterans are unlikely to play after missing most or all of this week’s practices. That group includes Champ Bailey (arguably the star of last week’s game at Cincinnati) and tight end Daniel Graham (who took a big hit in that game and has not practiced).

Receiver Brandon Stokley (hamstring) and right guard Chris Kuper (ankle) are not practicing Thursday which makes them doubtful for Saturday’s game.

Assuming Bailey does not play, rookie Perrish Cox could start at left cornerback. Cox is behind Nate Jones on the depth chart at nickel corner, but has been working in Bailey’s outside spot all week.

With Graham out and Richard Quinn still hobbled by an ankle injury, young tight ends Marquez Branson, Riar Geer and Nathan Overbay should see plenty of time Saturday night as well.

The Broncos had two potentially key players return to practice Wednesday. Outside linebacker Jarvis Moss was back sporting a cast on his left hand. Moss suffered a broken hand nearly two weeks ago, soon after he moved into Elvis Dumervil’s position at the edge-rush spot of the Broncos’ 3-4 defense.

Also back was rookie receiver Eric Decker, who had been out the previous 10 days with a sprained ankle. Among those not dressing were veteran receiver Brandon Stokley, who appeared to yank his hamstring during practice Tuesday, and tight end Daniel Graham and cornerback Champ Bailey.

It could be just a veteran’s day off, but for the first time in training camp, cornerback Champ Bailey and tight end Daniel Graham missed both the morning and evening practice sessions Tuesday.

Meanwhile, safety Brian Dawkins returned for the afternoon practice — without the orange “no contact” jersey that he wore last week. Inside linebacker D.J. Williams also practiced without the orange jersey during the morning sessions. Dawkins and Williams did not play in the preseason opener at Cincinnati, but are expected to Saturday against Detroit.

Williams, Dawkins and Bailey are among the players who have been on the one-a-day list.

Canton, Ohio — There was James Lofton, the Hall of Fame receiver who played for the Green Bay Packers in the 1980s. There was Forrest Gregg, the great offensive tackle of Lombardi’s Packers in the 1960s.

And there were former Broncos’ Billy Thompson and Tom Graham, father of the team’s current tight end, Daniel Graham.

We all shared the same nonstop flight from Denver to here. Thompson and Graham are here as guests of Floyd Little, who will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday night. Lofton says he always tries to attend the festivities because it becomes sort of a 50-year class reunion. He will also be hosting a Westwood One radio show here.

Gregg lives in Colorado Springs. I did not know that. He was born and raised in Texas, but he was stationed at Fort Carson in the Army and always loved Colorado Springs. He and his wife Sharon took several vacations to Colorado Springs and finally decided to settle there.

That’s two Pro Football Hall of Famers living in Colorado Springs. Jan Stenerud is the other.

Broncos tight end Daniel Graham and head coach Josh McDaniels spoke to students at Denver North High last month. McDaniels will talk to students at Montbello Wednesday evening.

Broncos coach Josh McDaniels will speak to students and their parents about living with asthma at Montbello High School from 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

It is the second such stop for McDaniels, who previously attended the asthma education program, put on by Denver Public Schools, with Broncos tight end Daniel Graham last month. McDaniels has lived with asthma his entire life, and his young son also has the disease. He believes that he (and Graham, too) are examples that it is possible to live a normal — or even an extraordinary — life with the disease, and that with education and prevention, children should not have to suffer.

Quarterback Tim Tebow of the Florida Gators during the fourth quarter of the Senior Bowl at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Ala., Saturday, January 30, 2010. (Doug Finger, The Gainesville Sun)

Just throwing it out there because, you know, blogs allow for creative thought, if not unsubstantiated reports.

The Broncos now need a receiving tight end after they traded away Tony Scheffler to the Detroit Lions on Monday. It’s not Richard Quinn, who the Broncos took in the second round last year. Quinn is a blocker. Daniel Graham is a decent receiver but he’s a block-first tight end.

Nicki Jhabvala is a Broncos beat writer for The Denver Post. She was previously the digital news editor for sports. Before arriving in Denver, she spent five years at Sports Illustrated working primarily as its online NBA editor. She also spent two years as a home page editor at the New York Times.